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NCI Highlights
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High Dose Chemotherapy Prolongs Survival for Leukemia

Prostate Cancer Study Shows No Benefit for Selenium, Vitamin E

The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research FY 2009

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Free Help to Quit Smoking

Smoking Quitline
Talk with an NCI smoking cessation counselor for help quitting and answers to smoking-related questions in English or Spanish - call within the United States, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time:

1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848); TTY: 1-800-332-8615


LiveHelp® Online Chat
Get information and advice about quitting smoking through a confidential online text chat with an information specialist from NCI's Cancer Information Service - Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time: LiveHelp

Smokefree.gov
This Web site offers science-driven tools, information, and support that have been effective in helping smokers quit: Smokefree.gov

Tobacco Facts

Tobacco is one of the strongest cancer-causing agents. Tobacco use is associated with a number of different cancers, including lung cancer, as well as with chronic lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
  • Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing an estimated 438,000 deaths - or about 1 out of every 5 - each year.


  • In the United States, approximately 38,000 deaths each year are caused by exposure to secondhand smoke.


  • Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the United States, with 90 percent of lung cancer deaths among men and approximately 80 percent of lung cancer deaths among women attributed to smoking.


  • Smoking also increases the risk of many other types of cancer, including cancers of the throat, mouth, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix.


  • People who smoke are up to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than nonsmokers, and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked. Smoking also causes most cases of chronic obstructive lung disease, which includes bronchitis and emphysema.


  • In 2007, approximately 19.8 percent of U.S. adults were cigarette smokers.


  • Twenty-three percent of high school students and 8 percent of middle school students in this country are current cigarette smokers.

  • (See Tobacco Statistics Snapshot for references for this information.)


More Information about Tobacco Use

Quitting Smoking
Quitting Tobacco: Challenges, Strategies, and Benefits
A series of fact sheets with information about challenges related to quitting tobacco and approaches for addressing the difficulties.

Prevention and Cessation of Cigarette Smoking: Control of Tobacco Use (PDQ®)
[ patient ] [ health professional ]
Expert-reviewed information summary about research and guidelines focused on the prevention and cessation of cigarette smoking.

Smoking Cessation and Continued Risk in Cancer Patients (PDQ®)
[ patient ] [ health professional ]
Expert-reviewed information summary about the influence of continued smoking on cancer treatment and risk of second cancers. Interventions to encourage smoking cessation are also discussed.

More...
Smoking and Tobacco Information
The Truth About "Light" Cigarettes: Questions and Answers
This fact sheet answers questions about the health effects of smoking "low-tar," "mild," or "light" cigarettes. National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 10.17

Questions and Answers About Cigar Smoking and Cancer
A fact sheet about the health risks associated with cigar smoking. National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 10.16

Secondhand Smoke: Questions and Answers
A fact sheet that summarizes the studies on the health effects of exposure to environmental (secondhand) tobacco smoke. National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 10.18

Smokeless Tobacco
NCI's gateway for information about chewing tobacco and snuff.

More...
Smoking and Tobacco Research and Statistics
The Role of Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use
This new NCI monograph provides a critical, scientific review and synthesis of current evidence regarding the power of the media to encourage and discourage tobacco use.

NIH State-of-the-Science Statement on Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation and Control
Panel statement from an NIH State-of-the-Science Conference held on 12-14 June 2006 at the National Institutes of Health.

Resources for Tobacco-Related Statistics
Statistics pertaining to the use of cigarettes or other tobacco products.

More...
Clinical Trials Related to Smoking
National Lung Screening Trial (NLST)
NLST, the National Lung Screening Trial, is a research study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute for men and women at risk for lung cancer.

Clinical Trials: Lung Cancer Prevention
Check for trials about lung cancer prevention from NIH's ClinicalTrials.gov Registry now accepting patients.

Clinical Trials: Smoking
Check for trials about smoking from NIH's ClinicalTrials.gov Registry now accepting patients.

Clinical Trials: Tobacco Use Disorder
Check for trials about tobacco use disorder from NIH's ClinicalTrials.gov Registry now accepting patients.
Información en español
Información del tabaco en español
Información y recursos sobre el tabaco y ayuda del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer para dejar de fumar.

A Service of the National Cancer Institute
Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health USA.gov